Initium Novum
by MisteryMaiden
Summary: Harry's tired of being told what to do and having his life dictated by a dead man. Deciding to take his training into his own hands and complete his mission by himself, Harry strikes out on his own following the summer of his sixth year. Rated T but that may change.
1. Chapter 1

**So before you all get annoyed at me posted a new story instead of updating my other stories...well, I'm not. This has been posted on ao3 for quite a while and I just keep forgetting to move it to as well. Oops. So do to some requests from people who saw it was there and not here, I'm posting it here as well.**

**I'm warning you now that this was a side project that I was working on a while back and I don't have that many plans for it drawn out yet so updates are going to be scarce, which is one of the reasons I was hesitant in posting it anywhere at all. Frankly the only reason I ended up posting it on ao3 was because I was playing around with the pseuds settings when I got bored one day during English when we were in the computer labs. I also have another Naruto story over there for the same reason and I might post that over here if I get enough people requesting it as well.**

_**Disclaimer: I think it's pretty obvious that I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't be writing **__**fanfiction**__**, would**_** I?**

* * *

**Chapter One**

Harry was tired. No, he was more than tired. He was tired, he hurt, and he was pissed. Thoroughly and utterly pissed off and he wasn't completely sure why.

No, wait, he knew why. It was because even dead Dumbledore was _still_ meddling in his life. Honestly, the man was _dead_, as in, no longer alive and should no longer be able to influence the living and yet, even with that, Harry was still back at the Dursley's because _Dumbledore said it was safe_.

The freaking Order couldn't think for itself no matter what Harry said! Even his friends said that maybe going back to his _abusive relatives_ would be safer than staying at Grimmauld Place with the entire fucking Order living there. All because the magnificent and very dead Albus Dumbledore had said so! Well fucking Dumbledore had said Snape wasn't really a Death Eater and was on their side and look how that had turned out! The Potions Master had _killed_ the man!

Only Remus and Moody seemed to remember this, though, and they were out voted by the rest of the Order. McGonagall, the new Headmistress and leader of the Order, seemed to be incapable of doing anything but parroting what _precious Dumbledore_ had said.

Harry wasn't sure if he should be grateful that someone realized the stupidity of this action or mournful that his friends weren't the ones standing up for him. Really, Ron and Hermione should _know_ him. They should have realized that he would have a reason for not wanting to return to the Dursley's and they should realize exactly what leaving him alone for an entire summer _again_ would do to him!

So much for best friends that knew him better than anyone in the world, Harry thought bitterly to himself. Ron and Hermione had finally shown their true colors; they'd never pick his side over the precious 'Greater Good' and it was about time that he accepted that.

Harry was beginning to doubt that learning magic was worth all the betrayals and death threats. The Wizarding World was supposed to be his refuge and home and yet Harry had nearly died every year he spent in the Wizarding World, from when he was a baby to his Hogwarts years. So much for being safe, Harry snorted silently.

Maybe, Harry thought, he should find another school; one that wasn't filled with backstabbing liars, manipulative headmasters, and deranged psychopaths around every corner. Surely Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang couldn't be the only other schools in existence besides Hogwarts.

Green eyes gleamed as a plan started formulating. One thing was for certain: Harry was not staying at the Dursley's.

* * *

Harry had been stunned, at first, to find out that there was a magical library connected to every muggle library. It seemed, similar to Gringotts, the entire library was located underground the muggle library. Harry wondered how he could have missed this before sighing and entering the library via the entrance labeled Exit that had a small wand carved into the side and a muggle repellent charm on it.

The library was huge and Harry would say that it easily dwarfed the Great Hall in size.

"Hello, welcome to the Surrey Magical Library," a female librarian greeted him. "Is there anything that I can help you find?"

Harry thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, could you help me find some books on the Magical Schools of the World?"

"Would you be looking for Primary Magical Schools or Secondary?" the woman asked, nodding to herself.

"Magical schools have Primary and Secondary?" Harry hadn't known this. "Would Hogwarts be a Primary?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh yes, the finest Primary in Europe," the woman (Harry couldn't locate a name tag) nodded. "You'll want Secondary Schools then. Those are located just back here."

Harry followed the small woman (she was only an inch taller than him, and though he hated to admit it, he was small for his age) past nearly a dozen bookcases before she veered to the right and stopped in front of a small books case on the wall with a world map above it. "If you want to know the location of the school, just tap the map and state the name," she told him before walking away.

Harry looked at the amount of books before groaning. Great, just great! This was going to take forever. Sighing, he picked one off the shelf before making himself comfortable on the floor.

* * *

Hogwarts, Harry found out, was not the greatest school out there. In fact, it was one of the worst considering it was trying to pass itself off as both a secondary and primary school. Most magical schools began at the ages of seven, when the core began to stabilize, while Hogwarts waited four more years before admitting children. It seemed that since Hogwarts was the first magical school that it considered itself the best but looking at the slew of other schools and their academic ratings worldwide, Harry was easily learning that, that was not the case.

Harry had found that he didn't much like the qualifications for the other schools in, or around, Europe either. The criteria for European schools had diminished over the decades and Harry learned that those in Asia, the Americas, and Japan were much harder and offered more subjects than Hogwarts ever had.

"So, do I want Salem's Academy for Magical Beings or Magia Academy for the Magical?" he mumbled to himself. Salem sounded interesting but it was located in an easy to attack spot. Voldemort would have no trouble tracking him there, no matter how he disguised himself, because the Headmistress or 'Principal' refused to allow students to enroll with an alias. Magia, on the other hand, encouraged such things if they were needed.

Harry turned to the map and tapped it. "Magia Academy for the Magical," he stated clearly. Instantly the map zoomed in on a mountain range in Alaska, one that was listed as 'uninhabitable' by the muggles. "Muggle repellent charms," Harry realized and smirked. So, Magia was located in the St. Elias mountain range on the border of Canada and Alaska.

"I think I know where I'm going next year," Harry decided, grinning. He grabbed a book on the school and made his way back to the front desk to check it out.

His plans were coming together already.

* * *

Harry didn't bother making his way back to Privet Drive. He'd already told Hedwig to find him after he settled some place and his trunk was still shrunken in his pocket from when he'd gotten off the Express. No, Harry hailed the Knight Bus and made his way to the Leaky Cauldron where he would head to Gringotts.

Being a tad past seven, Harry would get there in time for the night shift and miss the five o'clock crowd by a half hour. That meant that very little people would witness him coming or going from the bank except for the goblins. Tugging his hat, something that he gained since it no longer fit Dudley, Harry's scar was hidden from sight and sunglasses over his real glasses completely disguised him from the crowd of people still shopping.

He cursed himself for not thinking of this sooner.

"State your business at Gringotts today," a goblin teller drawled in what Harry thought was a bored tone as he approached the desk.

"Harry Potter to talk to his account manager," he stated quietly, not wanting someone to overhear him. The goblin perked before nodding.

"Follow me," he ordered and led Harry behind the teller desks and into the back offices of the main building.

They stopped at an office labeled 'Griphook'. Harry blinked, vaguely recalling that name from his first Gringotts visit. He hadn't realized the goblin had been his account manager. It certainly explained why he'd been fine answering Harry's questions.

"Mr. Harry Potter is here to talk about his account," the teller announced before turning around and leaving. Harry stepped into the now open office and fought the urge to flinch as the door slammed behind him.

"What can I help you with today, Mr. Potter?" Griphook drawled from behind a large mahogany desk. The office was empty but for the desk and two chairs in front of it. Harry took a seat.

"I need to know about the Potter Family account as well as what I inherited from my godfather, Sirius Black. I have a feeling that not everything has been told to me about the accounts." Green eyes flashed in anger at the thought of even _more_ withheld information.

"Very well," the goblin opened a draw and pulled up two bulging files. "The Potter family are an Ancient and Noble House just as the Black family were. You, being sixteen and underage, are the declared Heir of both Houses due to your father having Black blood and your godfather performing the Adoptio ritual on you with your parents' permission, making you his legal heir in the event that he did not have children. You are therefore Heir Harry James Potter-Black of the Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Black."

"Okay," he had thought it was something like this. "What does being the Heir of both Houses require me to do?"

"First off, you must claim the Potter and Black Heir Rings," Griphook stated as he pulled out two ring cases. "Place the Potter Heir Ring on your left index finger."

Harry picked up the ring. Made of gold with the Potter Family crest carved into it, Harry slipped it on the correct finger and watched as it resized to fit him. "Now place the Black Heir Ring on your right index finger."

The Black ring was done in the same style of the Potter ring, though it was done in white gold instead of regular gold. It, too, resized once placed on his hand.

"Good, you are now legally the Heir and future Lord of both Houses." The goblin seemed more than pleased. "I am now in charge of making sure that the money of both Houses grows while under my care. It is your job, however, to visit each vault and make sure everything is in order. As Heir, you cannot withdraw money, but heirlooms of both families are yours to do with as you please."

"And my Trust Account?" asked Harry. It was better to know of any changes sooner rather than later.

"Before your claiming of the Heir Rings you received 5,000 Galleons a year. That has now been increased to 10,000 a year with an addition 10,000 from the Black Vault as you are now Heir of that House as well." Harry stared. That, he thought in stunned silence, was a lot of money.

"You have a total of 110735Galleons, 33 knuts, and 5 sickles in your Trust Vault as of this moment," the goblin's eyes glinted at the amount. Harry felt his mouth fall open. In five years he had on barely dented the amount in his Trust and Harry wondered what would happen if Ron ever knew how much money Harry had just in his Trust Vault. He doubted it would be pretty.

"Wow," he mumbled. "Wait a minute, I should only have roughly around 97,000 if I go by what I spent over the last five years and the amount of money deposited into my account from the Main Vaults!" Harry exclaimed after he did the math in his head.

"Ah but over the past two years you have received an additional 6,666 galleons and 66 knuts from the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes since you are listed as third partner and benefactor," the goblin explained.

"The Twins," Harry realized, blinking. He was gaining that much money from only being a third partner?! Fred and George were doing well for themselves with their business. Harry smiled fondly. It would be impossible to convince them to keep the money too. Maybe he could invest more in them? Surely that would help them with inventing new products…

"Can you actively invest a sum of 4,000 galleons in the Weasley Wizarding Wheezes?" Harry asked after a moment. "The business is obviously doing wonderful for itself and would probably do even better if they had more money to finance their inventions."

"I will do so," Griphook nodded. "Is that all?"

"I would like to check on the Vaults now and, if possible, get a money pouch connected to my Trust Vault," he remembered that Malfoy had one and knew that it would be useful to gain one as well.

"It costs 4 galleons for a regular pouch and 10 for a pouch keyed to you. They will be taken out of your account monthly," Griphook informed.

"One that's keyed to me, please." It would be useful and Harry wouldn't need to worry about accessing his money in his new school. "Can I access my Vault in any Gringotts bank?"

"Yes," the goblin answered as he dug through a drawer. "All Gringotts Banks are connected through goblin magic that connect every Vault to each and every building around the world."

Harry nodded, thankful that he would still have access to his parents' things when he went to Magia. "Alright then, I think that all I have left to do is to visit each vault."

"I will call an attendant to take you down," Griphook nodded.

* * *

One attendant and terribly fun (not that Harry would tell anyone that but it sort of reminded him of a muggle roller coaster) cart ride later and Harry was in front of the Main Potter Family Vault. Holding up his ring, the vault glowed and peeled open, revealing a large cavern filled with money and items.

Griphook had explained while they waited for an attendant that Harry no longer need a vault key to access any of his vaults as he now wore the Heir Rings of Black and Potter. As soon as Harry had put them on his vault key and any copies had self destructed, leaving only the rings as a way of getting in his vault.

"I will wait for you here, Heir Potter-Black," the goblin stated as it bowed. Harry frowned before bowing back (seriously, it was only courteous to bow back if someone bowed to you!) only to get the most shocked looked he had ever seen on a goblin's face before. He hadn't even been aware that you _could_ shock a goblin.

What did it say about Wizards and Witches if being courteous to goblins was rare enough to visibly shock them? Harry didn't know and he decided not to dwell on it and continued his way into the vault as if nothing had happened.

Not caring much about the money (he had enough in his Trust to take care of his needs) Harry headed over to the large area filled with items. Bookcases took up one fourth of the Vault with an index placed on a pedestal in front of the miniature library. He figured that there was a trick to it but decided to figure that out at a later date and focused on the other area of the vault.

This part was filled with knickknacks, jewelry, wands, and what looked like armor. Harry decided that he would start with the wands and headed over to the giant display that encased them. There was glass covering them but Harry found that his hand was able to easily pass through it. He figured the glass was there to keep out those without Potter Blood from getting into what were obviously Potter Family Heirlooms. Wands from hundreds of generations of Potters sat in the case, he discovered as he found that the large displayed had endless amount of room and by pressing his hand against the ridge of the right side of it, the display would rotate wands.

"I love magic," Harry grinned as dozens upon dozens of wands stood clearly before him. Done with exploring, Harry was about to leave when his own wands warmed his arm where he had it holstered (a gift from Moody so he didn't "Blow his buttocks off") and he felt something reach out and prod his core. Harry stopped and turned to look at the display case.

He had been told before that he should get a secondary wand, one that wasn't tracked by the Ministry but he had also been told that finding a wand that matched with both his core and his primary wand was difficult and sometimes impossible depending on the Wizard. This conflict of information (how could he go get a second wand when doing so could end up being impossible and was highly improbable at the same time was beyond him and was one of the few times he seriously considered hurting someone for the inconsistency) had given Harry pause in going out to find said wand.

Moody, however, had gotten such a wand and had been sure to tell them how to know when they'd found their match. If Harry remembered correctly Moody had described exactly how he was feeling right now. Grinning like mad (he could do magic in the summer now!) Harry walked over to the case and searched out with his magic for the wand that was calling him.

It was near the middle, labeled thirteen inches, Birch wood with Thunderbird Feather core. Harry gently picked up the beautifully polished wand before grabbing the holster it sat with and strapping it to his thigh.

Waving the wand, lightning thundered from the tip and he heard the singing of his Holly wand join in with the loud caw of the Birch wand. To a bystander it would sound horrible, loud and a headache inducing jumble of noise. To Harry it was as if he was listening to the most beautiful duet in the world and for the first time in what seemed like forever, Harry felt complete. The bonding of his new wand filled a void he hadn't even known he'd had.

Harry placed the Birch wand in its holster happily, glad that one worry (being disarmed) had been solved without him actively trying to solve it.

"Okay, so now what," he mumbled to himself as he glanced around him. The bonding of the Birch wand had distracted him from his previous plans to explore… "Guess I'll just head over to the jewelry," he decided eventually, unable to recall what his next goal had been.

Most males of any age saw jewelry as something 'girly' but Harry had always been fascinated by some of the different necklaces, earrings, and bracelets he had seen. Maybe he just liked things that were shiny? Most jewelry was rather shiny and it wouldn't be that surprising to the teen if that was the reason behind his fascination.

The glinting red earring that immediately caught his eyes suggested that this was so and he began studying the rather shiny earring in detail. It was obviously a ruby of some sort though Harry had never seen a ruby that was a dark a red as this one. The stone was large and sat in a silver base that looped around the ear. It would probably dangle a bit below the ear lobe, Harry thought to himself as he palmed the small piece of jewelry. There was another plain hoop also sitting in the box and it was obviously the second part of the set as another ruby of the same color hung from the hoop.

There was a folded paper sitting beneath the two earrings in the box. Harry picked it up after carefully picking up both earring and replacing them in the box once he had freed the page.

_I do not know who reads this page or how long these have sat here but greetings, descendant, I am Warren Potter and the year is 1821. I am nearing eighty years of age, not old for a wizard, if not for the Dragon Pox that have taken their toll on me. Maybe there is a cure in your time; maybe it has died out, however I am told by Healers that I have a week left to live. Therefore I leave these priceless earrings, made of Blood Ruby and Faerie Silver, in the Vault of our ancestors._

_Blood Rubies are rare and nearly impossible to find. They are rubies that formed from the blood of an Ouroboros. The Ouroboros is a serpent that eats its own tail. They symbolize unending energy and eternal life. The Blood Rubies provide protection to whoever wears them and they can neutralize even death itself, if need be. It is my hope that none of our blood will ever require these but I am old, too old to delude myself to the truths of the world._

_So descendant, you who find yourself in danger of death wear these upon your ears and harm shall never befall you._

_Warren Potter_

"Blood Rubies," he murmured as he studied the small objects again. "I doubt that they can beat death but it wouldn't surprise me if he met the beat poisons. It would be common knowledge if they threw off the Killing Curse."

He folded the paper and placed it back into the box, moving the earrings out of the way and then replacing them on top of it before snapping the box closed and placing it in his pocket. Any extra protection would be more than appreciated. He'd get his ears pierced in the Alley when he was done since most businesses like that would still be opened during the night (it catered to those that worked long hours and could only come at night or to creatures that were adverse to sunlight).

"Alright," Harry looked around the table one more time to make sure there wasn't anything else that he wanted over here. Two shimmering gold rings caught his eye and he made his way over to them. They were made of gold and were obviously made for bonding, one being a large male right and the other being a smaller female ring. The male ring had a stag carved into the metal and it pranced around proudly. "Prongs," realized Harry with not only a tad of grief. The woman's ring had a doe, his mother's animagus form, sleeping on the metal with its chest rising and falling. Harry looked around the table and found a sleek, rather long, silver chain which it reached for and unclasped, slipping the two rings around it and hanging it around his neck. These had belonged to his parents and Harry would be damned if he didn't have something of theirs with him to remember them.

The cloak and album helped but Harry couldn't really carry those around with him so he was left with nothing of theirs before he'd found their bonding rings. He smiled at the slight weight around his neck and nodded. He was done here for now.

He glanced around the room once more before deciding that he was done exploring the vault. He exited, the entrance melting back into stone, and nodded to the goblin. On to the Black Vault.

* * *

The Black Vault was a tad bit bigger that the Potter Vault and Harry attributed that to the fact that there was a small armory on one side of the room. Harry had left the bookcases alone, as he had in the Potter Vault, and was glancing over the jewelry.

His eyes locked onto a charm bracelet and he picked it up. It was brimming with magic and after a long study, Harry knew why. Each charm different and there were only seven of them. One was a trunk; another was a small cabinet, followed by a bookshelf and then wardrobe. The last two were runes. Harry recognized them both and the gem they were made out of. Ihwaz, the rune of defense, was made out of shining blue topaz and Algiz, the rune of protection, was made from amethyst.

Harry frowned; the magic he was feeling wasn't coming just form the runes. Pocketing the bracelet, Harry decided that he would study it more when he found a place to settle for the night. The bracelet clinked against his new money pouch as he let go of it but nothing painful or menacing seemed to happen so he relaxed.

He left the jewelry to visit the armory. While fighting with a wand was useful, Harry couldn't afford to limit himself to it. He needed to be able to protect himself with and without magic and that meant finding a weapon he could use that was as easy to carry as a wand.

The Black Family seemed to have a sea of weapons at his disposal and Harry spent a good half hour digging through them before he found a set of throwing knives that were clipped to a belt with runes that he didn't recognize carved into them. Harry lifted his shirt (still far too big for him) and clipped the belt around his waist. There were two books lying underneath them and Harry picked those up before nodding.

Turning, the teenager exited the vault and stepped into the cart after giving the goblin a brief nod.

Next stop: house hunting.

* * *

**Once again, just because I know people will have ignored the first A/N: THIS IS NOT A MAIN PROJECT OF MINE AND UPDATES WON'T HAPPEN OFTEN! This is a side project and updates will only happen when I get sudden inspiration. I have very few plans for this story compared to my main HP projects and was something I wrote when I got bored and have added onto whenever a new idea strikes me since. **

**So no pestering me for quick updates. I only posted this here because some of you really wanted it on both ao3 and . Critiques are welcome and in fact, I urge you to. I love hearing your opinions on how I can make my stories better! Also, let me know if you see some glaringly obvious mistakes so I can fix them. I don't have a beta and there's only so much self editing can do for you.**

**~MisteryMaiden~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

It turned out that finding a house wasn't too hard. Well, apartment really.

Harry had asked the goblins about real estate and they had recommended a business only a walk away from the bank called Hocus Housing. Cheesy name but Harry was pleased with the apartment they had hooked him up with on Witching Lane which connected with Diagon Alley.

The apartment was bear of furniture except for a few bookshelves built into the walls and a bed in the bedroom that had just been fitted with a new mattress courtesy of Hocus Housing. Harry pulled his trunk and resized it. The feeling of doing magic in the summer made Harry grin as he set the trunk on the bed.

Unlatching it and throwing the lid open, Harry began unpacking all of his school books (from every year since he refused to leave anything at the Dursley's) and placing them on the bookshelves by year. After that was finished, Harry moved onto placing his toiletries in the bathroom and Hedwig's perch was place on the kitchen counter where it would be easy for her to find when she did show up. He cracked the window open to make getting inside easy for her.

Everything else was left in the trunk as he was currently without furniture to place it in.

Deciding to go shopping in the morning, Harry emptied his pockets, placing the earring case, bracelet, and money pouch into his trunk before unlatching his holsters and knife belt and placing them into the trunk as well. With that finished Harry moved the trunk from the bed and let himself fall face first into the mattress.

He deserved a good nights sleep, Harry told himself as he eyes slid shut. Hopefully, there would be no nightmares that night.

* * *

Harry awoke with a yawn, bright daylight streaming into his eyes from the window in the bedroom. Blearily blinking his eyes open, Harry got up and slowly completed his morning ritual of teeth brushing, shower, and getting dressed (he was well aware that his hair was a lost cause at this point).

Hedwig had shown up sometime in the night and was happily sleeping on her perch in the kitchen/sitting room. Harry smiled at her as he padded back to his bedroom to grab his pouch, holsters, and the earrings.

"I'll get some groceries while I'm out," he assured the owl who hooted disapprovingly as he hadn't eaten yet. Hedwig gave him a skeptical gaze before hooting in acceptance and going back to sleep. He left the window open just in case she wanted to go out and hunt before he got back.

Harry took out the apartment key and locked the door behind him before replacing it on his belt hoop. He would have to find a better place to put it but decided that this was good enough for now and made his way down the stairs and into Witching Lane.

Unlike Diagon Alley, Witching Lane wasn't nearly as crowded and Harry was met with smiles from everyone. His first stop would be to a saloon to get his hair altered (his scar currently covered with muggle make-up) before heading to a magical optometrist to get his eyes corrected.

Harry quickly found a saloon only a few feet down from his apartment and entered. A woman name Angy (she had a name tag!) greeted him, short brown hair only just falling into her eyes. Harry fought down the urge to ask her about her name, knowing that it would be rude.

"How can I help you?" she asked cheerfully.

"Can you grow out hair?" Harry had considered growing it longer in an attempt to tame it and decided that even if that didn't work the long hair would give people pause before proclaiming him Harry Potter.

"Of course we can!" Angy seemed insulted. "Anything else?"

Harry thought for a moment and grinned. "Dark red streaks," he answered. That would certainly through people off for sure.

"Can do! Just follow me back here…" Harry was led back into the tile floor and was pushed into a seat.

Ten minutes later Harry walked out of the saloon with hair going down to his mid-back and dark red streaks running through it. He found that he rather liked the look and walked down the street, picking up groceries as well as some parchment and fountain pens (not all wizards were stingy on using muggle writing utensils) with some replacement cartages for the ink.

Making a quick stop back at his apartment to drop some things off, Harry made his way into the optometrist next.

A potion thirty minutes later corrected his near sightedness and Harry ditched his now trademark glasses for the first time since he was six. He felt good and yet odd to have the pressure on his nose missing. It definitely felt good to look out of the corner of his eye and not see only blurs of color.

Furniture was next. A potions cabinet, table, couch, desk, couple more bookshelves, and magically powered washer and dryer were shrunken and placed in a bag that was soon filled with dishes, a cauldron, and cleaning supplies (the place was a tad dusty and in need of a good cleaning). He made sure to by a wardrobe (that was a novel idea, his own wardrobe); bed sheets, pillows, bath curtains, towels, window curtains and a bath mat as well as he realized that he didn't have any of these things yet and life at the Dursley's had taught him to the value of these things.

Deciding to visit the piercing and tattoo shop _after_ he was done cleaning since he didn't relish the thought of cleaning with sore ears or another part of his body if he decided to get a tattoo, Harry carried his purchases back to his apartment, Number 34 Witching Lane, London.

Taking out the dishes and putting them away in the cupboards (they'd only need a small cleaning charm) Harry took out the cleaning supplies before putting the bag on the counter next to Hedwig. The owl gave him a look, one that he ignored (he'd eat later, damn it!) before he filled the pail he'd bought with two different cleaning solutions and a bit of water before dunking a mop into it and getting started on the hardwood flooring (he'd buy carpet at a later date if he felt like it).

Once the floor was sopping and clean Harry banished the liquid that remained on the wood and smiled in pride at the clean gleam that was left behind. It felt good not to have to run a towel over it and it cut down his work time exponentially.

Next were the windows which Harry did completely by hand, less he accidently banish the glass as well as the cleaning solution. That took a good twenty minutes as there were three windows and he had to do both sides. The end result was worth the effort in Harry's opinion as the windows looked transparent when he was done.

The walls and ceiling were the easiest, as he like what he had done with the floor, Harry coated them with his mixed solution, scrubbing to get up stains and such, before banishing the mess. The kitchen was nearly clean already, what with the brand new fridge (powered by magic), stove, oven (also all powered by magic) and counter were not something he had to worry about. All that really needed attention were the outside of the cupboards and cabinets. That took about ten minutes in all and an hour after beginning cleaning, Harry was finished.

With the apartment clean and dry Harry pulled out the couch and re-sized it before pushing it up against the wall bellow the window. The potions cabinet and cauldron went on the right side of the room that wasn't far from the doorway to the bathroom. Harry stuck the washer and dryer into a large closet near the door before placing the bookshelves he'd bought on the left side of the sitting room.

The desk and desk chair were put in his room after he moved the bed to by the window on the left side of the room. The desk and chair took the bed's place in the middle of the room against the wall. The wardrobe was placed against the wall next to the door and Harry quickly filled it with his clothes. He'd need to go clothes shopping soon as well, he noted with a grimace as he looked at Dudley's cast offs.

The last big item was the table, which Harry put between the kitchen and the sitting room. It came with only two chairs but Harry didn't expect much company anyways.

He covered the pillows in pillow cases before throwing a sheet over his bed. Tucking the corners, he placed the pillows by the headboard with a smile. This bed was much better than the rickety thing he'd had at the Dursley's and he certainly liked it better than the beds at Hogwarts, possibly because it was solely his.

His last effort would be on the bathroom where he placed the soap, shampoo, and conditioner he bought by the sink and shower respectively. The curtain was rather easy to hang and the towels were hung up on the towel rack before the extra were put in the cupboard above the toilet. Lastly, Harry threw the bathmat over the floor in front of the shower.

Finished with his new belongings and with furnishing the new apartment, Harry began the long task of putting his old belongings away in their appropriate areas.

Harry was having more fun than he'd ever thought he'd have with cleaning and for once, not one thought of Dumbledore, Sirius, the war, or anything breached his mind. It was the most relaxed he had been in a long time.

It was past four when Harry was content with his new home and the young wizard decided that it would be best to grab a quick bite to eat (Hedwig was glaring at him and Harry knew that if he didn't eat soon she'd start pecking) before heading out to finish his disguise.

With a toasted peanut butter sandwich, Harry walked out of the door with plans of searching out a magical tattoo parlor that dealt with piercings as well. He already knew that saloons of the magical world didn't handle that sort of thing as he had asked when he had gotten his hair altered. Angy had recommended a place called 'Scruffies Tattoo and Piercings' that was on the corner between Witching Lane and Diagon Alley.

Harry was in the middle of Witching Lane and the walk to the corner where it met Diagon Alley took a good half hour but Harry eventually spotted the building that he was searching for. The 'Tattoo' part of the sign was covered in what Harry assumed were tattoo designs they offered and the 'Piercings' sign had large versions of earrings hanging off it. In all, it looked out of place in between two older style buildings though Harry thought that it certainly attracted attention, which was the point of having a sign in the first place.

Harry ignored the odd looks he was getting as he walked up to the door and entered inside. He stopped in his tracks as he saw tracks and tracks filled with modern style clothing that were obvious a mix of muggle and magical designs.

"Like what you see, do you?" a male voice asked and Harry turned to find the store manager watching him in amusement. The man's hair was a dark blue with lighter highlights that went down to his shoulders but it was his eyes that caught Harry's attention. They were a glowing sky blue that stood out on slightly tan skin. He'd never seen anything quite like it before and he couldn't help but stare.

"Never seen a nymph before, have you," it wasn't a question. Harry shook his head.

"No, I haven't. My name's Harry, by the way." Harry introduced himself, bowing slightly. He had picked up a few of the polite greetings used in Wizarding Britain from watching a few of the purebloods interact but he wasn't good at them and the bow was awkward.

"Muggle-Raised," the nymph grinned. "Don't worry; I don't care for any of that backwater British Pureblood crap. Let them stay stuck in the past, I'm content with the modern world. My name's Mist."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you mind if I look around then? I really need a new wardrobe and I don't relish the thought of more robes." He made a disgusted face, grinning when Mist laughed and nodded slightly in agreement.

"Go on ahead. I will never turn down a paying customer, good sir. What kind of business man would I be if I did?" Mist scrunched up his face. "Not a very good one, I tell ya."

Harry laughed and started walking towards the clothing with a distinct purpose: No more robes.

The selection was good and Harry settled on grabbing three weeks worth of different types of trousers in the colors of dark blue, black, and dark green. For shirts he found quite a selection of long sleeves and short sleeves in similar colors and styles of his pants. The long shirts were a low v-neck with bell sleeves that would easily hang onto his small frame. The short sleeved shirts were simple and some even had a moving design on them. Harry walked over to the shoes and grabbed a pair of black trainers. A couple packages of black socks and a package of underwear and Harry was happy with his new wardrobe.

"Nice," Mist nodded as he put the large pile in a bottomless bag. "Anything else?"

Harry reached in his pocket and pulled out his Blood Ruby earrings. "Can you pierce my ears with these?" he handed the box over to the outstretched hand.

"Blood Rubies?" Mist murmured as he examined the contents. "Someone in your family most have been rich but yeah, I can pierce your ears for you. Follow me to the back," he motioned as the hopped over the counter and made his way to the door in the very back of the shop. "This is where I do the piercings and tattoos," the nymph told the wizard. "It's not sanitary enough for my tastes in the rest of the shop so I filled it with different style clothes and jewelry. I didn't really want an empty room wasted. Not with the price of rent on this building."

Harry gave a sympathetic grimace and nodded. He assumed that as a nymph, Mist would be far more sensitive to what was sanitary and what wasn't than he was. Looking around the back room they entered, Harry saw that accept for a large poster of tattoo samples, the walls were bare. A simple black chair and counter were the only other items in the room.

"Have a seat. This shouldn't take long," Mist grinned at him from the counter, one earring already loaded in the piercing gun. "It won't even hurt. I put a numbing charm on the needle and a mild healing charm. Muggle piercings are hard to take care of since you've got to keep them clean and make sure that they don't close. I charm the needle to automatically take care of that process and as long as you keep the skin clean, there's no chance of infection. No need of special medication or anything with my piercings!" The nymph seemed more than a tad proud of this and Harry had to agree that the idea was rather cool and took care of some of the things he'd been worrying about.

"Hold still," the nymph muttered as Harry took a seat. Two slight stings later and Harry was sporting the two Blood Rubies on both ears. Mist nodded happily.

"You should go with a few top ear piercings. A nice pair of ruby earrings with a chain hoop would look great with those." The nymph was eyeing him like an interesting piece of meat and Harry motioned for him to go ahead. It certainly wouldn't do the disguise he was building any harm and the extra piercings only took a few more seconds.

"You want any tattoos?" Mist asked as he cleaned the piercing gun.

"What do you have?" Harry asked, thinking about it. The nymph handed him a portfolio.

"I can also combine tattoos if you want," he offered as he reached for his different inks.

Harry's eyes zoomed in on two tattoos of a thunderbird and phoenix. He searched for the appropriate setting to put them in.

"A phoenix sleeping in a tree with a thunderbird dancing in the sky above," he decided, feeling the thrum of approval from his wands.

The tattoo artist paused at the same time, seemingly listening to something. "That's some connection you've got with your wands," he said after a moment. Harry stiffened.

"Oh, no need for that," Mist waved his wand in dismissal. "I'm not going to rat you out. I just thought you should know that a connection like that should be treasured. Any magically sensitive being is going to feel it when near you. Wands don't normally respond like that, even if they're a part of you. You should be proud."

Harry, for once, found that he didn't mind being different in that regard. He wouldn't trade his wands for anything in the world, not even to fit in with the masses. He was beyond caring about what anyone else thought and Harry, with a slight start, realized that he just wanted to be himself for once.

He didn't feel it when Mist started the tattoo (on his back) but he certainly felt it when it was completed. With a burst of magic, he felt his wands connect with the image and he gasped out as the feeling of being literally _one_ with them filled his core. It seemed that both wands were pleased with his choice, at least.

"Well," Mist said as he stared at the blinking boy. "I've never seen that happen before. Good on you, Harry."

Harry was in a daze the rest of the trip, absently paying fifty galleons for his things and making his way back to his apartment in a half stumble. When he reached the door, he unlocked it quickly before closing it and re-locking it. Then he made his way to his bedroom and collapsed, falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

It turned out that his wands bonding with him in such a way had taxed his core and Harry slept for two days straight before waking up to a concerned owl early on a Monday.

"Ugh," he moaned as his body ached at the strain it had been put through two days prior. He still had to figure out a way to hide his scar and write to Magia Academy to secure a spot.

Whimpering, the teenager stood and made his way to the kitchen where he diligently made an omelet at the pointed glare of Hedwig. It seemed that his owl wasn't about to let him get away with skipping a meal again and Harry had to say the he appreciated the effort on her part to take care of him. A good meal later and the overprotective owl seemed content with him.

"I've got to write that letter to Hea-err, Principal Chamberlain," he informed the owl. "Would you be willing to take it, girl? It is an awful long ways away, all the way over the ocean and in the mountains of Canada."

Hedwig, having been about to bite him for daring suggest that she not be able to deliver a letter, paused. The owl didn't know how exactly far away that was but it seemed to be a distance that not many owls had ever crossed. She hooted in dismay, knowing that the large water was far too big for her to cross without a break.

"I didn't think so," Harry sighed before perking. "There's got to be an international way to contact them, right? I'll just have to do some research after I finish the letter."

Grabbing parchment and a fountain pen (he hated quills with a passion) Harry began on his letter.

* * *

"Principal Chamberlain?" the smooth male voice of Rakesh Hartmut broke through the working principal's concentration. Glowing golden eyes of a Lycan settled on him as he pulled out an old styled envelope. "It seems that someone from Europe is searching for admittance."

"Europe?" Audra Chamberlain blinked in surprise. "We haven't had a European applicant since…oh, three hundred years ago? I was under the impression that the backwards society and their people were content with their little backwash world."

"It seems that we have been misinformed. From what I've gathered in recent visits the incoming new magicals aren't even told of the other schooling options that are open to them. I doubt they even know that Hogwarts is labeled as elementary through middle school and that there are other schools out there that act as High Schools and Colleges." Rakesh mused, eyes narrowed at nothing and too lost in thought to care what he was looking at.

"We do have a rather odd system. Non-magical schools are so much easier to understand," Audra sighed in exasperation. "So who is this mysterious applicant?"

"Someone by the name of Hadrian Black." A Black? Well, wasn't that the first in a long time!

"Hand it over," Audra held out her hand. "I think I should be the one to read this."

"Of course," the Vice Principal rolled his eyes. "Do as you wish. I've much more work to be done if we are to be ready to open on time. Plus the summer classes seem to be under the impression that just because it's summer, the rules have changed. I must go inform them differently."

"Have fun!" Audra called to the sadistically smirking professor. Sometimes she thought the man might be a tad unbalanced, if you know what she meant. He tossed her a sadistic smirk before exiting the office quietly

"Alright Hadrian, let's have a look at you," she mumbled as she opened the envelope.

_Dear Headmi Principal Chamberlain,_

_My name is Harry James Potter and I have to apologize for the deception. As you probably know, I'm somewhat famous in the British Wizarding World and while I don't know if that's true everywhere, I thought that posting this under an alias would make it less likely for it to be intercepted or read before it reached you._

_For the last six years I have attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and truthfully, I don't believe I've received even a tiny amount of a decent education. Each year my life has been put in some sort of jeopardy and I'm quite fed up with it so I did some research about different schools and was more than horrified at how lacking the Hogwarts education is._

_I'm asking to join the school during the next term and start filling the gaps in my education. Due to the fact the megalomaniac that calls himself 'Lord Voldemort' is alive and kicking again, I would suggest that if you do accept my application that I attend under the alias of Hadrian Lupus Black, as I am both the Potter and Black Heir._

_I've included my O.W.L scores but I doubt they matter much as the testing was interrupted by Voldemort and fireworks and…err; it's a long story that made much more sense at the time._

She blinked before scowling. Of course those idiot Brits wouldn't have a retesting down due to interruption and just assume that everyone had finished. They were a completely nutty society if she ever saw one.

_I would like to request a letter in return so that I may know your decision, no matter what it is. My address is Number 34 Witching Lane, London._

_Thank you for your time,_

_Harry James Potter-Black_

_Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Black_

"Well, at least he knows how to properly sign a letter. I doubt the British teach that in their backwash school," Audra snickered. "Oh yes, I do believe Mr. Black will like it here." The fact that she'd be able to pull one over on the British Ministry and Hogwarts only helped in her decision.

She picked up one of the outgoing acceptance letters and changed a few things before setting it in the once thought pointless Europe mail holder in a correctly addressed envelope. It flashed brightly before vanishing.

"Oh Rakesh!" she sang happily after a moment. "You'll never believe this one!"

* * *

It turned out that all Harry had to do was buy and install an international mail drop box into his apartment to send the letter. Hedwig seemed to hate the thing, though, so Harry vowed to her that he wouldn't use it unless necessary.

He was surprised when it began glowing brightly only a few hours after he'd sent his letter. Opening it and grabbing the letter, Harry blinked at the Magia Insignia.

"That was quick," Harry muttered as he studied the paper (for it definitely wasn't parchment) in his hand.

_"Dear Mr. H.L. Black_

_We are honored to tell you that you have been accepted to Magia Academy for the Magical. Enclosed are the classes that you can take during your eight year tenure here at our school, with of course the core classes of Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, and Charms. Mandatory classes may be completed as quickly or slowly as you wish over the next eight years._

_Required materials are as listed below:_

_1 wand_

_Advanced Potions kit (we suggest purchasing this outside of Europe as our Advanced kit differs from theirs)_

_2 pairs of Dragon Hide gloves_

_1 protective robe_

_1 set of protective goggles_

_1 cauldron, copper standard issue_

_Listed below are the courses that you can decide to take. Each are labeled to whether or not they are 'mandatory (M)' or 'elective (E)'. Please use a pen to mark off each subject you wish to take this school year before tapping your wand against the paper and saying 'submit'. The paper will then be replaced with a completed supply list for the up-coming school year._

_Thank you for showing you interest in our school,_

_Audra Chamberlain (Principal)_

_Rakesh Hartmut (Vice principal)_

Harry grinned at the letter before noticing the separate paper that had been placed inside with it.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I have decided to accept your application to my school and have, as you requested, registered you as Hadrian Lupus Black. I have listed you as having been schooled at Hogwarts under an alias due to you being last male Black Heir. Any digging will show just that, such are the charms placed upon the school to protect those of the students that need it._

_I believe that you will find Magia to be suitable school. This letter also doubles as a portkey that will activate on the 30th of August and 10:00am and will take you directly into the school. For return housing, students live on campus nearly year round and each student receives their own room due to this. You may receive a portkey on arrival that will take you back to your current lodgings for holiday and weekend use only. Any activation during the school year will be recorded and earn the confiscation of the portkey if the travel has not been approved by the Vice Principal or myself._

_Good luck, Mr. Potter. We will see you on the 30th._

_Principal of Magia Academy of Magic,_

_Audra Chamberlain_

Alright, that made sense to him. Hadrian (he would have to think of himself as that for now on) tucked the letter away in the envelope and began studying the classes that were offered at Magia.

_Arithmancy (M)_

_Magical Creatures (M)_

_Magical Beings (M)_

_Ancient Magical History (E)_

_Recent Magical History (M)_

_Magical Technologies (E)_

_Magical Arts and Crafts (E)_

_Enchantment (M)_

_Blood Magic (E)_

_Music of the Magical Nature (E)_

_Soul Magic (E)_

_Necromancy (E)_

_Animagi Training (E)_

_Jewelry Making (E)_

_Portrait Painting (E)_

_Astronomy (M)_

_Elemental Training (M)_

_Magical Control (M)_

_Physical Arts (M)_

_Magical Theory (M)_

_Healing (E)_

_Foci (E) *Note that this class is mandatory for all that do not have a wand*_

_Alchemy (E) *Note that this class should only be taken if you have an affinity for potions*_

_Spell Crafting (E)_

_Runic Magicks (M) *Note that if no aptitude is shown in this class, you may drop it with the approval of the Principal*_

_Aura Reading and Interpretation (E)_

_Symbolism: Magical Interpretation of Herbs, Gems, Stones, and Plants (M)_ _Divination (E)_

Hadrian blinked at the rather long list of classes before frowning. He'd have to choose which ones that he wished to take in the up-coming school year and it seemed to him that he would need as much help as he could get. He'd also have to be careful as to not overwhelm himself.

Okay mandatory first, Hadrian thought as he glanced through all the (M)'s on the list. Magical Control, Magical Theory, Enchantment, and Elemental Training would be good classes for him to start with, Hadrian finally decided. As for electives he'd take Healing (you never knew when that knowledge could be handy), Blood Magic, Magical Arts and Crafts, and Magical Technologies. Tapping each one, Hadrian watched in fascination as they glowed brightly after each tap. "Submit." The entire paper glowed before the completed list replaced the class selections.

_5 ritual knives_

_12 journals, 1 for each class_

_Fountain pens (quills optional)_

_1__0 Binders_ _Sheet Paper_

_3 pairs of Smelting Gloves_

_C__arving Knife_

_Complete set of colored pencils and paints_

_Standard Number 2 pencils_

_Pencil sharpener_

_Sketch pad, unlimited paper_

_1 wand_

_Advanced Potions kit (we suggest purchasing this outside of Europe as our Advanced kit differs from theirs)_

_2 pairs of Dragon Hide gloves_

_1 protective robe_

_1 set of protective goggles_

_1 cauldron, copper standard issue_ _No uniform is required._

_Additional items may be required by teacher at the beginning of the year. Student's will be allowed off campus to purchase said items with the approval of the Vice Principal or Principal._

That was much more than he had been expecting but with narrowed eyes, Hadrian planned out his next shopping trip. Maybe he could get a recommendation for an adequate potions shop from Mist? The nymph didn't have the proper attitude or accent to be European so he would probably know about the right shops to go to in another country.

Harry frowned. Now that he thought about it, none of the shopkeepers around Witching Lane seemed to be of European origins. He had heard accents of all different types and yet, he'd yet to really hear a British accent from a shopkeeper. He'd not even heard a French or Bulgarian accent around the Lane.

"How did I miss that?" Harry wondered, blinking. If he had to guess, he would say that no one from Europe even acknowledged the Alley's existence besides real estate agents that had to deal with the housing around the Lane.

When Hadrian (damn it he needed to get used to this new alias, he was already slipping up!) had been out and about the Lane he'd received more than a few weird looks from passerby's and clerks. He had just brushed them off, far to use to receiving these same looks when shopping as Harry Potter in Diagon Alley. Now that he thought about it, he'd probably received those looks more to his accent than his name (something that they would have no way of knowing considering he was in disguise).

Hadrian decided that it didn't really matter in the long run because this way, there were a lot less people likely to know him for him to run into. He didn't think that he even really knew anyone outside of Europe, let alone England. So first thing first: How to cover up his annoying, obvious, and very identifying scar?

_'Somehow, I bet that make-up shop down the Lane a ways had something,'_ he thought with a smirk. It was obvious that European Wizards had no idea about any new inventions worldwide and therefore a new invention for covering curse scars probably didn't even register on their radar. It was a mentality of 'if we didn't make it, then it's obviously inferior' and that was a mentality that Hadrian was more than tired of. Just because the British Wizarding World wanted to be backwards in their ways didn't mean he had to be.

Grabbing his money pouch and apartment key, Hadrian left the apartment with a purpose to his stride. He'd pick up a few books on runes, arthimancy, elementals, healing and blood magic. He'd also review the things that he'd learned over his years at Hogwarts because he refused to be so far behind the others attending the school because of Britain's backwards ways of life and schooling.

The street was somewhat empty as it was nearing lunch on a weekday and Hadrian assumed a lot of the people that had been there before had work. Descending from the stairs and into the street, he looked around before spotting his destination. With a satisfied nod, Hadrian jogged over to the store (only five stores down from his apartment) and smirked as he saw that it was open. He entered to hear a bell ring from the door, signifying that someone was here.

"Hello sir, my name is Carrie. Is there something that we can help you with?" A rather bored looking brunet droned from behind a counter.

"Yes, I need something that can cover curse scars." Hadrian glanced around the shop in a speculating way. "You wouldn't happen to have something like that, would you?"

"We do," she answered, seeming a tad more interested. Hadrian didn't blame her as it probably wasn't often that she got a male needing to cover up a scar or even wanting to cover a scar, really. "Do you want a paste or something that's unlikely to rub off?"

"Unlikely to rub off would be helpful," he nodded, looking at the materials that the store keeper was piling on the counter top. She hummed in thought before clearing over half of the products off the counter.

"In that case, I recommend 'Maggie's Magical Scar Cover'. Works wonders. It's applied like a band aid before it sinks into your skin and takes on the color of your complexion. It's virtually impossible for it to be spotted and a small piece lasts over a month. One box can last you a year or more but I would suggest buying three at a time." Carrie smirked and Hadrian nodded.

"I'll take it," he smiled. "How much for three of them?"

"Twelve galleons," she put the money into the register (they actually used registers here!) and bagged his items before handing it over. "Have a good day, sir."

"Thank you very much," Hadrian nodded at her before leaving. The bookstore would be his next stop and that was a ways away, so Hadrian began his trek down the rather empty street. Twenty minutes later and he reached the bookstore with a sigh.

Thirty minutes and forty galleons later, he left with his required books and a few store recommended ones. Satisfied with his load, Hadrian made his way home.

He was going to be ready for his new school come hell or high water.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

It turned out that Mist did know a few places where he'd be able to get the things he needed. The nymph was rather surprised at why he needed the supplies but Mist seemed pleased that _someone_ from Europe had 'more brains than the average ape'. While it was rather cruel to call most of the people from Europe stupid, Hadrian was rather pleased at the compliment and smile at the Tattoo artist before thanking him and leaving.

While Hadrian was aware that his textbooks would be supplied by the school, he also knew that he had grown accustomed to being able to write in the margins and textbook as he wished and knew that he wouldn't be able to break the habit in time for the new school year so he'd bought his own versions the day before.

There was a Muggle and Magical Stationary store near the middle of the Lane that Hadrian would be able to pick up some of his more mixed supplies. Binders (it took him a while to locate what a 'binder' was as he'd never seen one before), sheet paper, journals, an unlimited sketchpad, pencils, fountain pens, pencil sharpeners, paints, and colored pencils all made their way into his shopping bag as he wandered around the store. In a burst of inspiration, he grabbed some glue, scissors, paint brushes, and a few other knickknacks that might come in handy before checking out. The cost was fairly cheap, only 59 galleons in all.

He still had a few supplies from his time at Hogwarts that he had packed into his trunk and crossed off his list so he didn't need too much else.

He found smelting gloves, ritual knives, and carving knives (for wood, not food. There was a difference, he discovered) in a specialties store. He also found protective robes there and bought a set, just in case something ever happened to one of them. The robes came with a pair of protective goggles each so that was two things crossed off his list.

"That leaves only the Advanced Potions kit," he muttered and smiled as he carried his purchases back to his apartment. The supply list had recommended purchasing that out of Europe so he'd have to wait until he got to the school to pick it up.

"Well, Hedwig, it looks like we're all set for the new school year," he smiled softly at the white owl. Hedwig hooted softly in agreement before going back to her perch to take a nap.

* * *

Hadrian spent the rest of the summer living rather happily in his new apartment. He'd struck up a rather nice friendship with Mist and the nymph had happily helped him prepare for his new school. This was how Hadrian received a headache inducing crash course in any and all subjects that he should have (but hadn't) taken at Hogwarts. It was because of this that Hadrian now had a rudimentary knowledge in Ancient Runes and Arthimancy that he hadn't had before. Once the nymph was sure he had those down, Mist moved on to improving his poor potions skills and correcting all the damage that Snape had done over his years of schooling.

It was one day, a week before he was heading off to Magia, that Hadrian's routine was broken. Mist was over visiting after having ordered an Advanced Potions kit from a place he 'trusted' overseas. Hadrian had been familiarizing himself with the potions ingredients included in the kit (quite a bit of them too, probably enough to last a few months) when a bright orange flame appeared in front of Mist's face and caused the startled nymph to fall back in surprise, toppling the dining room chair he was sitting in over.

"Fawkes?" Hadrian asked as the phoenix appeared from within the familiar fire. Hedwig hooted a welcome to the visitor from her perch.

Fawkes trilled in response to Hadrian's question before turning his attention to Hedwig and greeting her with a dip of his head.

"That's a phoenix!" Mist finally recovered from his spot of the floor. "A fire phoenix by the looks of him," the nymph breathed in wonder. "Beautiful."

Fawkes preened at the attention he was receiving and Hadrian laughed. "Yeah, he sure is. What are you doing here Fawkes?" He asked as he stood to retrieve some treats to give the visiting phoenix.

Fawkes' answer was to fly over to Hedwig's perch and settle down next to her. Hedwig didn't seem bothered by this and returned to her nap without as much as a disgruntled hoot. It seemed Harry hadn't been the only one that Fawkes had managed to gain favor with and the teen chuckled at them both. "You've decided to stay then?" He had wondered what the phoenix was going to do now that Dumbledore was dead and he was a bit touched that Fawkes had decided to stay with him after he was finished grieving.

Fawkes trilled an agreement before settling down for his own nap and since Hedwig had accepted the phoenix's presence, Hadrian didn't have a problem with the other staying for as long as he wanted. Just because he was displeased at the moment with Dumbledore didn't mean he had to take out his anger on the phoenix.

"Correct me if I'm mistaken but isn't that the recently deceased Albus Dumbledore's phoenix?" Mist broke the silence after a moment. "I did think you looked familiar at first but you said your name was Hadrian Black…"

Oops. "For all intense and purposes, I'm Hadrian Black but I'm also Harry Potter. Since being the latter is a bit dangerous at the moment, I've been going by the former," Hadrian shrugged as he fought down the feeling of unease the rose in his stomach. It was a bit disgruntling to know that his ruse was up so quickly however Mist seemed to be trustworthy enough.

"Well, it's not like I'm one to judge," Mist shrugged easily, his blue hair framing his face rather well. "Mist is just as much an alias as Hadrian Black."

"Really?" Harry asked head cocked to the side in curiosity. It had never occurred to him that Mist might be just a nickname or alias that the nymph had chosen for himself. In fact, he'd never even asked the man his last name. What kind of friend was Hadrian turning out to be that he'd forgotten to ask his newest friend his real name, last name, or even about his family?

Come to think about it, he'd never really asked anyone about their families besides Ron when they first met on the Hogwarts express. And now it was only because the Weasley's were like family to him. If he took a moment to think about it, he didn't even know what Hermione's parents' names were or anything about them besides the fact that they were dentists and seemingly liked to travel. He didn't know anything about either of his so called best friends' lives outside of or even before Hogwarts.

That wouldn't be a mistake the he would repeat again. "So if Mist isn't your real name does that mean that it's just a nickname or are _you _hiding from something too?" he asked casually.

"If you're good, maybe one day I'll answer those questions," the nymph teased before moving to gather his things together. "As it is, I doubt that you would completely understand the answer. I'll leave Magia to straighten you out before I tell you. That place as a way of…widening your horizons and opening your eyes that you've yet to experience."

Hadrian nodded in thought before giving the other a small smile. "Then I'll have to keep you to that promise. See you in a few months, then?"

Mist was going to be busy the next few weeks and by the time the nymph would have any free time at all, Hadrian would already be on his third week of school at Magia. It would be a few months, until their first school break, until he saw his new friend again.

"Good luck, Hadrian," Mist gave him a fond smile as he left the small apartment, presumably to return to his store for the rest of the day (his lunch break was about over, anyways).

Hadrian watched the nymph go and was bombarded with a feeling of loneliness. While he'd never had many friends to begin with, Hadrian had become so used to having someone, anyone, around that to be alone in the apartment with only Fawkes and Hedwig did nothing to help the loneliness dissipate.

Fawkes trilled softly, seemingly in attempt to comfort him, and Hadrian gave the phoenix a small smile in return. Standing, he began clearing up the table around him. "Well, we've only a week before heading off to Magia. I guess it would be remiss of me not to begin preparing, don't you think?"

Hedwig gave him an agreeing hoot before shaking off the lingering lethargic feelings of her nap. It seemed his owl was prepared to go somewhere and Hadrian frowned at her in thought.

Hedwig gave him an annoyed hoot before motioning to his writing supplies. Understanding dawned on him as he remembered the support of Remus and Moody when the rest of the Order had been unable to do anything but parrot a dead man. "Yeah," Hadrian whispered as an image of a grieving werewolf made itself clear in his mind. "I should write to them before we go, shouldn't I?"

Hedwig hooted, pleased with her Master's understanding, before coming to sit on the chair of his shoulder while he wrote.

* * *

Remus Lupin was borderline insane with grief as he sat defeated in the sitting room of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

"Buck up, Lupin. The boy's fine!" Moody barked as he hobbled into the room. "Potter isn't one to go down so easily, no matter what those two bit pansy's think!"

Remus let out a forced chuckle but they both knew the chances of something untoward having happened to Harry were high. The ex-auror sighed as he made his way to occupy a chair not far from the couch Remus was occupying. "He'll be fine," the gruff man attempted to comfort him. "Potter has survived worse than this. He's a strong lad, you'll see."

The screech of an owl startled both men as a familiar snowy white owl flew into the room (and just how had she managed to get past the wards, let alone the closed windows?) and landed not far from Remus' head.

"Hedwig?!" Remus shot up and spun around to face the owl. Hedwig gave him a greeting hoot before sticking her leg out, offering the letter tied to it. Remus quickly reached out and untied the letter before ripping open the envelope and beginning to read aloud.

_"Dear Remus and probably Moody,"_

"Perceptive lad," Moody praised. Remus shot him a look that clearly meant: be quiet or die. The Ex-Auror wisely shut up. Remus began reading once again.

_"I am so sorry for not writing sooner! I just, well I refused to stay at Privet Drive any longer and I couldn't believe that everyone was going to force me back there! We all know the wards were going to break on my seventeenth birthday and that Voldemort was going to attack the place when they did, so what was the point of going back there just to be attacked in a few months?!_

_It didn't even occur to me to tell you my plan. Which Hedwig pointed out in her unique way, was a mistake."_

Remus paused and gave the pleased owl a considering look which was mirrored by Moody. "Well I'll be damned," Moody mumbled, his magical eye spinning wildly. "The owl's his familiar!"

Hedwig gave a proud hoot as Remus gave Moody a startled look. Familiars were rare and bonding with one without meaning to was even rarer. Perhaps Harry's long summers at his relatives with only Hedwig as company played a large factor but either way, it was an impressive discovery. Familiars were attached to the very magic of their Masters and because of that, their overall intelligence increased. Remus doubted that Harry even realized that Hedwig was his familiar and decided to include that tidbit of information into his return letter.

_"So here it is: There is no way in hell I'm going back to Hogwarts this year. I love the school but every year something has tried to kill me, be it a basilisk, arcomanutula, Voldemort, Dementors, or the freaking British Ministry. Really, I'm surprised that it took me this long to call it quits._

_Now this doesn't mean I'm not going to school, because I am, just not Hogwarts. I looked up some schools in the Surrey Magical Library (did you know about that place? Because I sure the heck didn't!) and found out that Hogwarts is attempting to pass as a Primary and Secondary school and is one of the worst schools in the world."_

"What, really?" Remus interrupted himself in surprise. Moody snorted at his surprise.

"Of course it is! Did you think that the only subjects a wizard should know where just what was on the Hogwarts curriculum?! Bah! There're hundreds of different branches of magic that Hogwarts doesn't even mention!" Remus gave the Alastor (he had to stop calling the man by his last name) a considering look before going back to reading the letter.

_"I've currently enrolled into Magia Academy in Canada. The Headmistress agreed to allow me to go by an alias. I won't tell it to you in this letter incase its intercepted but I **solemnly swear** that much **mischief** has been **managed.**_

_I promise to keep in contact and I'm sorry that it took so long for me to write._

_Harry_

Remus grinned at the letter as he read the words that Harry had easily inserted into the letter. "You are one clever menace," the werewolf said fondly as he brought his wand to the paper after setting it down on the table. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he intoned happily.

The letter morphed in front of their eyes until it had turned completely into a box. Alastor let out an appreciative whistle. Remus opened the box to reveal a second letter, a mirror, and an international letter carrier. Hedwig glared at the latter and hooted unhappily. Remus opened the second letter and began reading.

_"I knew you'd figure it out and I'll have to thank the twins for the map. Anyways, I'll be able to keep in contact with you using the mirror and more sensitive information can be sent through the mail carrier. Any mail addressed to 'Harry Potter' will go automatically to my own mail carrier but I wouldn't suggest it._

_You're probably wondering why I mentioned going to Magia and using an alias: that's because even if the letter was intercepted, they'd never have been able to find me. I've changed my appearance completely and I've even used some product developed out of Britain to hide my scar. Without the scar and glasses, I'm virtually invisible in the Wizarding World. They'll probably think that I wrote that to mislead them and I'll be able to hide in plain sight easily._

_Did you know that Sirius made me his heir apparent? I doubt anyone else does, either._

_Sincerely,_

_Hadrian Lupus Black"_

Remus blinked before smiling a little. Alastor let loose a barking laugh as the letter finished.

"Somehow," Mad-Eye began (Alastor just wasn't working for Remus in association to the retired Auror) grinning nastily. "I think that boy should have been a Slytherin."

And though the thought of Harry being a Slytherin would have had Sirius rolling in his grave, Remus couldn't help but privately agree.


End file.
